Stevie Wonder’s seven-and-a-half best songs in honor of his 75th birthday

Today is Stevie Wonder’s 75th birthday, and to celebrate, we’re taking a look at the gifts he has given us.

The Michigan-born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, born Stevland Judkins and later credited as Stevland Morris, is a pillar of modern American music, and has been in the public eye since launching his career as “Little Stevie Wonder” at the age of 11. His first big hit came at 13 with “Fingertips” and he continues to release open-hearted, optimistic music to this day.

To mark his 75th, below you’ll find a ranked list of seven-and-a-half of his best songs, a dubious task when you consider that 28 of his recordings made the top 10 of the Billboard charts, 10 of which went all the way to No. 1.

Luckily, when you reach the end of this article, there will be an opportunity for you to share which tracks we left out. But please be polite about it! We are well aware that “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)” is a melodic masterpiece, and it was simply one of several deserving choices that didn’t make the cut. (There will be no similar apologies made for discounting Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.)

Happy birthday, Stevie, and thanks for everything.

“Superstition” (1972)

The funk, the clavinet, that beat. Stevie Wonder laid down more classic tracks than just about anybody, but as far as we’re concerned, everything else is battling for second place after “Superstition.”

When recorded for his album Talking Book, Wonder didn’t just sing and play the funky keyboards (and early Moog synthesizer bass), that’s him on drums, too. The song emerged from a jam session between Wonder and the late British guitar player Jeff Beck, who recorded his own (lesser, no offense) version soon thereafter.

As a special treat, we’ve included a live version of the song here, which features incredible energy and backing vocals by Deniece Williams. If this music fails to move you, it is recommended you breathe on some glass to make sure you are still alive.

“My Cherie Amour” (1969)

While this smooth love song is miles away from the gritty funk of “Superstition,” it shows off Wonder’s penchant for a strong melodic line and his gorgeous voice. The move from minor to major key in the second chorus makes it close to impossible not to sing along to this one.

“Part-Time Lover” (1985)

Though a hit-making juggernaut through the ’60s and ’70s, Wonder did not slow down in the ’80s. While he had others that stayed on the charts longer, this peppy number, which has something of a devilish streak both musically and lyrically, ranks as our top representative of the era.

“Living for the City” (1973)

Wonder’s album Innervisions came out during a period of innovation and productivity hardly matched in 20th-century music. It is 45 minutes of perfection, one of those “no skips” collections with one banger after another. The end of side one (to put it in an antiquated way) is the best of the best, however — a funky-blues portrait of racial discrimination and urban hardship.

“Fingertips” (1963)

“Fingertips,” released in 1963, is what put Wonder on the map (and got him on The Ed Sullivan Show), and was a major breakthrough for then new Motown Records. Still a kid, he was marketed as a “13-year-old genius,” a blind prodigy who played harmonica, sang, and, most importantly, galvanized audiences. Would “Fingertips” have been as successful as a studio recording? Absolutely not. The thrall of the crowd is what made the double A-side single a sensation, and Wonder’s first No. 1 hit.

“Isn’t She Lovely” (1976)

The fact that this song has been played at nearly every wedding you’ve ever attended does not diminish its greatness. It is an expression of pure love from a parent to a child — and a duet between Wonder and his infant daughter, whose gurgles appear on the track. (Of note: every instrument you hear on this one, except for Greg Phillinganes on some additional keyboards, is either Wonder or young Aisha Morris.) This was never released as a single in the United States, which shows you just how much classic material Wonder was releasing at his peak.

“Sir Duke” (1976)

“Sir Duke” is Wonder’s salute to the heroes that came before him: namely Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and “most of all” Duke Ellington. The tightly arranged horns (which Wonder himself arranged) made this a jazz-R&B-rock crossover hit that spent three weeks at No. 1 and remains a favorite of enterprising high school marching bands to this day.

And a Half: “Do I Do” With Dizzy Gillespie (1982)

Some of Wonder’s biggest hits were as collaborations with other artists, like his duet “Ebony and Ivory” with Paul McCartney. He also added his harmonica to tracks like Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For,” Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues,” and Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You.” And they are all terrific.

But this is our list, so our collab pick is this relatively esoteric (and quite lengthy) track Wonder recorded for his early ’80s greatest hits package. The best part is when he welcomes the great jazz trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie with reverence and respect (“I have the pleasure to present…”) as if Wonder himself wasn’t one of the biggest stars on the planet. That appreciation for musicianship is part of what makes him the legend we’re celebrating today.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly